What The Heart Desires
by AnotherBloodyFanWriter
Summary: EDIT: I've had to upgrade the rating. Not that it matters too much. Peridot must come to terms with her feelings for both Lapis and Amethyst. At the same time, Lapis and Amethyst find themselves in a heated competition to win Peridot's love. Who will win? And will their friendships remain? This fic will have two endings depending on your preference. *Incomplete And Updating*
1. Chapter 1 A Fresh Start

Peridot stared out upon the horizon. The dawn had come somewhat earlier than usual. She was still trying to grow used to the idea of the sun's cycles and seasons. Compared to the monotony of Homeworld, change was both welcomed and simultaneously feared in some way. Or at least oftentimes drastically misunderstood.

Lapis was still fast asleep downstairs. She had taken well to learning the human ritual of sleep. Her loud snoring filled the barn below and echoed out through the quiet cornfield. Veggie as they so often did, decided to curl up on Lapis' chest and make themself comfortable for the night. Lapis would always end up cuddling them close, providing them the warmth they came in search of.

Peridot continued to listen to her barnmate break the morning air and snickered to herself. She found the strange ritual adorable and found herself in envy of her pet. As the thought passed through her mind her laugh faded a bit. The past months with Lazuli had rolled through her mind without relent. It started out slow at first, and picked up speed quickly enough.

As much as Peridot hated to admit it, she really liked living with Lapis. She liked the way she walked, the way she talked, the way she carried herself, and her openness. She liked that the most she thought to herself. When she met Lapis, she was closed off and cold, and in many ways she still was. But something was beginning to change about her. It seemed like every time Lapis was alone with her she had a looser attitude. Even in groups Lapis would always loosen her normally colder demeanor around Peridot.

She laughed, she held long and fascinating conversations, she opened herself up to new people and possibilities, and she felt like a whole new person. She remembered when Lapis moved in how things started off shaky. After the incident with the Rubies, Peridot lived up to her commitment and divvied up the barn as evenly as she could. Lapis was very quiet those first few days following. She barely acknowledged anyone's existence, even her own. It seemed like she was in really deep thought most of the time.

Then one morning, a few days after the Rubies left Earth, Peridot awoke to hear the quiet sound of scraping on the floor. She turned over to see Lapis, who had been staring at the border all night had just decided to begin erasing it. She was scraping at the marker drawn border with the end of the broom Peridot used to clean the barn.

"What on Earth are you doing Lazuli!?" Peridot demanded. "All of my hard work! I calculated precisely how much we should both get and I was THE most consider-" Lapis cut her off midway. "I'm erasing the barrier for good. This is our barn, so I thought we should just share it equally." Peridot stood there for a moment, stunned a bit by the statement Lapis had just made.

It wasn't like her to just change her tune so suddenly. Or was it? Peridot realized at that moment how little she knew about her surprise roommate. Not wishing to get caught off guard about anything again, particularly on this Lazuli, she made a point of it to spend the next 2 weeks learning as much as she could about Lapis.

It got to the point where Lapis couldn't take another moment of questioning and nearly flung Peridot into the silo across the field. Even Peridot had to admit the questions were starting to get a little ridiculous. But she had a place to start with her. And that was more than she had from the getgo. Suddenly her flashback was interrupted by a very familiar voice, "Morning Peri..."

A flustered Peridot nearly toppled from the roof in her attempt to about-face Lapis. Lapis sat behind Peridot with Veggie sitting comfortably in her lap. Peridot fumbled about and sat across from Lapis trying desperately to look like that didn't just happen. "Uhm... Good morning, uhm, Lapis..." Peridot spoke nervously. Lapis chuckled and gave Peridot a knowing smile.

Peridot cleared her throat, "Yes well it is a good morning, isn't it? So what's on the agenda today Lazuli?" Lapis shrugged her shoulder instinctively "I dunno. Didn't you say something about wanting to take me out to some place called 'Funland'?" Peridot sat up immediately and proceeded to talk matter-of-factly, "Why yes! You've got to see this place Lazuli! I know you'd love it! Why we can even bring Veggie if you want! There are these things called rollercoasters! And these weird-looking things called balloons! And then there all the games and diversions we could spend hours distracting ourselves with!"

Peridot continued her long rant, which seemed to become less and less coherent as it went on. Or perhaps Lapis had just tuned out most of it. Didn't really matter to her though. As long as Peridot thought her rambling got the point across, she was happy. She began to think about perhaps making breakfast for themselves. She was starting to enjoy the idea of food and wanted to try a recipe Steven had shown her for something called 'pancakes'. She wasn't sure what they were, but trusted that if Steven had suggested them, they were probably worth the trouble.

Just then Peridot had finished her rambling. A moment passed before Lapis spoke up, "Yea, that sounds like fun. Say Peri, would you like to try out that pancake thing I was telling you about yesterday?" Peridot's eyes lit up, "Yes! I would love to do that! Erm, how about you go downstairs and start it up and I'll join you in a minute." Lapis agreed and flew downstairs to begin. Peridot sighed and realized in the time they were talking the sun had finished rising. Ah well, there's always tomorrow, right?

Heading down to the barn's interior she helped Lapis prepare breakfast, or at least their own wacky version of it. Packing their grip they started out towards Beach City for the day. Little did either of them know how greatly this day would change them forever...


	2. Chapter 2 Old Friends, New Problems

The flight to Funland was short and surprisingly quiet. While the flight for Lapis took only a minute, it was still shocking enough for her that Peridot was so quiet. To contain this much excitement (especially after eating) wasn't like her. She didn't have time to mull it over however, as Peridot was back to rambling as soon as they arrived.

"Here we are Lapis! Whaddaya say I give the grand tour?" Lapis smirked knowingly and allowed the small gem to take the lead. Proudly marching past the entrance banner as a toy soldier would, one foot after another, she marched into the arcade. The arcade was absolutely packed on this day. The summer heat was in full swing early in the morning and guests were starting to take refuge in the air-conditioned building.

Lapis watched as Peridot's orderly march became a stumbling gait as she struggled to push through the burgeoning crowd of humans; most of whom were larger than her. Sighing loudly, Lapis picked her up and began tiptoeing through the remainder of the crowd into an open area of the building. Or at least relatively so, compared to the masses behind them. It was at this point they heard a very familiar voice.

"Hey P...", Peridot leapt from Lapis' hands like a cat and scrambled about the floor. Amethyst laughed and jumped down from the skee-ball machine at the back. She was pulling her classic trick of taking advantage of Mr. Smiley when no one was looking. The high score for the machine was already well and maxed out as the printer on the coin slot went into overdrive.

"Well, that's all the skee-ball machines and all the perfect scores.", Amethyst said smugly counting the tickets up. Peridot regained her composure quickly and straightened her face out. Lapis stared in awe of Amethyst's 'brilliant strategy'. "Woah, how come nobody else ever thought of that?" Peridot made a face of intense disgust, "That's because it's cheating Lapis! This Amethyst has no respect for the rules of this place!".

Amethyst chuckled, "It's not cheating if you don't get caught Pear. And since when were you all big on authority miss CLOD?". The word brought to mind the moment Peridot had snapped at her former commander. The memories of that first sweet taste of antidisestablishmentarianism rolled around in her head. She couldn't help but crack a smile, though one she did try to hide. Rolling all the tickets into a wad Amethyst proceeded to the ticket counter, spilling excess tickets all along the way.

Mr. Smiley sat at the counter, dazed and exhausted from lack of sleep and the overwhelming number of customers early in the morning. He had just barely managed to drive Onion out for vandalism and now had to contend with his older brother Sour Cream's spontaneous raves, one of which was overtaking the arcade. Slumping the tickets onto the counter Amethyst screamed, "There! All 40,000 tickets! Gimmie that console!"

Mr. Smiley grabbed his chest, as if holding back a stroke. Finally he spoke, "Well, it's not easy to part with this thing, but fair is fair. Here you go kid." Amethyst nabbed the new gaming console with both arms and hobbled out of the arcade, making sure to pay both Sour Cream and Onion for their help in distracting Mr. Smiley. Lapis and Peridot stood there for a moment before Peridot spoke again, "Well, now that she's gone, you want me to teach you how to beat this the right way?" Lapis nodded, "Yea, you can go first Peri."

Peridot slammed her first two quarters into the machine and began to teach Lapis the mysterious and fascinating game of skee-ball. Neither the teacher nor the student were much good at it of course. Peridot constantly leaned over the ramp to compensate for her stature. Lapis seemed to miss the point of it entirely, instead focusing on getting the balls in quicker as opposed to more accurately. But none of that really mattered to them though. As long as they were together and having fun there were smiles to be had and laughs to share.

In the end the handful of tickets they handed in were only enough for a few plastic trinkets, but the new meepmorp material made Lapis happy enough. She had already begun verbally planning what she would do with these to remember her day with Peridot at Funland. Moving on to the kiosks, the pair began chowing on funnel cakes when they spotted the balloon stand. Setting her sights on a funny looking violet balloon, Peridot laid her money down and snatched it from the bouquet.

She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something about that silly face on the balloon seemed familiar... Suddenly the balloon screamed, "Boo!" Peridot jumped back aghast to find the balloon was very much alive. "Oh my stars! Steven never mentioned these things were living beings!" The balloon began shapeshifting as Amethyst revealed herself. She was laughing uncontrollably. "Oh my gosh Peri! That was the best the reaction ever." Even Lapis had to admit that was pretty funny, as she began snickering into open laughter. Peridot blushed and shrank away slightly embarrassed.

Amethyst leaned her arm on Peridot's shoulder. "Aw, I'm just playing P. Why the long face?" Peridot shuffled about nervously, and leaned to grab a different balloon. Amethyst turned to Lapis, who was looking rather indifferent. Peridot spoke up, "Why do you keep following us Amethyst?" Amethyst smirked, "I'm kinda bored and lonely. Steven and Connie came with me at first, but I think they're off now doing their own thing. And Garnet and Pearl are out on a mission. So that kinda just leaves you two." Lapis seemed a bit indignant at the idea of being Amethyst's 'last resort' for companionship, but Peridot was all over the idea. "Well why didn't you just say so!? Come friends! Let's turn this place upside-down!"

The trio began to march throughout the carnival, causing a scene wherever they walked. Peridot had forgotten just how fun Amethyst was. Careless, sure. Reckless, most certainly. But she never ceased being endless loads of fun. She remembered her first visit to the park and the official formation of 'Shorty Squad' rather fondly. Even after everything Peridot had done in service of Homeworld to hurt Amethyst and the Crystal Gems, Amethyst found the strength to cast old rivalries aside and embrace Peridot as her new best friend.

Time had seen them grow apart recently. She didn't see much of the original Crystal Gems anymore. She realized how little she remembered about Amethyst, and how much of that memory and effort was now being put to work with her relationship with Lapis. She began to seize up with overwhelming thoughts, as she had trouble finding things to say to her. Her erratic behavior of course didn't go unnoticed. But explanations would have to wait.

Lapis pointed out the rollercoaster and shot Peridot a fascinated look. "I'm guessing this is what you meant by rollercoaster, isn't it Peri?" Peridot freaked out, immediately rushing toward the kiosk. "Yes! Follow me guys!" Amethyst interrupted, "Peri, you do remember your little height problem?" Peridot stopped and scratched her chin. "Yes, but for now it seems to be unguarded." Lapis was hesitant, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" But it was far too late. Peridot had already hopped the gate and was rushing up the stairs to her seat.

Lapis and Amethyst followed suit. The trio belted in, and waited for Mr. Smiley's return. Unable to recall whom he admitted to the ride, Mr. Smiley ignored them and pulled the lever to release the track. The cars began their slow climb to the peak of the first dip. "Climb! Climb! Climb! Climb!", Amethyst chanted incessantly. Peridot however, was beginning to have second thoughts. She was becoming acutely aware of just how high she was, and just how fast the cars would be moving past the first dip. She said nothing though, and instead grabbed the edges of her seat preparing for the inevitable drop.

The coaster dropped with intense speed into the track below. Lapis and Amethyst were hysterical with laughter, but Peridot was beyond terrified. Just then, she realized she was beginning to slip out from underneath the safety bars. Before she could get a word out, her small body lifted from the car and was airborne. Peridot screamed loudly and fell hands of feet first on the track. Right in front of the oncoming train's pathway.

It was at this point the other two realized what had happened, but it was far too late. Peridot's eyes widened as the car fast approached, smashing her head on and launching her off the ride entirely. She landed with a loud thud on her backside on the boardwalk. As she struggled to support her form, she could make out Lapis in the distance closing fast, whom had flown off the ride in panic. "Peri! Are you alright!?" Peridot could hear very little, as the impact left her hearing ringing. But she could make out enough of what she said. "Yea, I-I'm fine..." Lapis embraced her in a crushing hug, nearly poofing her. "We Peridot's are tougher than we look.", she said in a strained voice.

It wasn't long afterwards that Amethyst approached the scene. While she wanted to express concern, she came off more jokingly than Lapis. "Holy crap Peri that was awesome! You've gotta teach me how to do that sometime." Lapis looked infuriated, "Are you kidding me!? Look at her! She might be hurt! Don't you care!?" "Hey! Her gem looks undamaged! That seems pretty alright to me!", Amethyst retorted rather defensively. The two began to argue loudly as Peridot regained her bearings. She tried to interrupt in her special brand of 'matter-of-factly', "Hey. Hey... Hey!" The two turned to face her, "In case you were wondering, I'm fine." Amethyst stuck her tongue out at Lapis teasingly before Peridot continued. "However, your concern is of course duly noted. Now then, let's just try a ride that's a bit more Peridot-friendly! Shall we?"

The two reluctantly agreed to stop fighting as Peridot once again took charge of the outing. Marching towards the Ferris Wheel, she held her hand out to signal a stop. "Aha! The Ferris Wheel! There's no way I'll get maimed on this one guys!" Lapis couldn't help but make a snide comment, "Knowing you Peri, I'm sure you'll find a way." Peridot shot a rather irritated look at Lapis as she approached the line.

Boarding the Ferris Wheel overlooking the bay, the three grabbed a car together when they noticed the couple in front of them. Steven and Connie were messing around in the adjacent car and were acting rather cutesy. It was honestly quite awkward for an already awkward group. As the wheel moved about, the two cars stopped near the top where the view was best. The three decided to listen in on the unsuspecting pair in front of them, who were still unaware of the group behind them.

The banter wasn't all that interesting at first. It was mostly human nonsense, and a few flirting signals here and there. But then something happened that shook the entire attraction, quite literally in fact. Steven's body began to meld into Connie as they held each other close, becoming less and less his own, and forming a familiar fusion atop the seat. Stevonnie looked around panicked, unsure of where they were. It took a moment for them to realize what had just happened.

Stevonnie after a few words with themself, began to laugh uncontrollably as they shook the ride back and forth. The reactions of the car behind them though were interesting to say the least. Amethyst immediately caught their attention, "Whoo! Nice job Steven!". Stevonnie stumbled about to spot their friends behind them. Unsure of what to say next, the fusion just waved. Peridot looked shocked. She had seen Steven fuse with Amethyst, but with another human? Was that even physically possible? It had must have been true, since it was right in front of her. But what a revelation!

Lapis' reaction however was drastic. Fusion had always been a sensitive subject since Malachite. She never enjoyed being Malachite. At least not in the sense Stevonnie enjoyed being Stevonnie. The only thing Lapis knew of fusion was abuse. Abuse and sheer terror. Taking it in, and dealing it out in double. For months her life was a constant struggle of such. But it had been so long trapped in that damned mirror... She genuinely enjoyed the pain. At least she could feel something. At least she knew she was alive. In Hell, but still breathing.

But now time had passed. Since Malachite, since the boating incident with Jasper, since Jasper's corruption... All she knew of fusion was sheer pain. To see fusion again, and to see happiness, and to see them truly at peace with each other. It was a lot for Lapis to try to bear. Maybe too much for a gem that had seen too much. She tried her best to hold it in, but the emotion of this moment was certainly not lost on her. Peridot moved her hand as she felt tears stain the seat she was leaning on. Lapis let her tears fall freely, unable to hold them back.

"L-Lapis? What's wrong!?" Peridot stammered. Lapis gripped the seat hard and turned her head. Amethyst took notice too, "Lapis? What's going on? Talk to us." Stevonnie looked on, distressed that their presence had been the cause of this. Suddenly, they fell apart as Steven and Connie peered over the car's railing to watch. Lapis, unable and unwilling to pass over old wounds, flew from the car in a rush, leaving a trail of tears in her wake.

Amethyst turned awkwardly to Peridot, "What is her problem?" Peridot pulled down her hair distressed. Lapis needed her help, and she couldn't be there for her now. "Stupid infernal amusement contraption! Down! You hear me? DOWN!", Peridot screamed at a seemingly deaf Mr. Smiley below. "Hey!", Amethyst said, pulling Peridot up from the railing. "It's okay, you should give her space, y'know?" Peridot tried her best to regain her composure, but she felt deep down like she was failing her friend. Amethyst sighed deeply and threw her arm around Peridot's shoulder.

"These kinds of things happen all the time with me and Pearl.", Amethyst spoke softly. Peridot turned her head to face Amethyst, "Really? What does she have to be upset about?" Amethyst shrugged, "It's a long story, like I assume Lapis is a long story too." Peridot scratched her hair nervously, "Yea, I guess you could say that." Amethyst laid her head on Peridot's shoulders, much to Peridot's surprise. "She doesn't get like this much anymore though, I really think she's moving past it.", Amethyst said. "Sometimes you've gotta learn to let people go. Or at least that's what Pearl's been dealing with. I'm sure it's a whole 'nother story with Lapis right?" Peridot paused before answering, "Well not exactly. But I guess some parts of it are close."

There was a brief minute of silence before the Ferris Wheel churned to life again. This time, their car stopped right at the very top. Amethyst continued to lie atop Peridot, looking exhausted. Finally Amethyst spoke, "We kinda let go of each other too, didn't we?" Peridot went catatonic in a desperate search for words. The most she could produce were a few nervous grunts and clicks. Amethyst laughed and picked herself back up. She leaned on the seat and stared at Peridot. "When was the last time we talked Perski? Like really sat down and had a chat?" Again, Peridot was rendered speechless.

Amethyst too was losing track of thought. She stared longingly into the darting eyes of the gem in front of her. Peridot was looking to concentrate on just about anything but Amethyst's tempting gaze. "Cause I really thought... We might have had something going for a minute there." Peridot was in full panic mode. She began thinking of literally any excuse in the world not to be where she was right now. She would give anything for the wheel to move. Much of her stammering was low brow swearing at the overweight human lazily operating the ride.

Amethyst turned her head back toward the sky. "I guess it's just as well though." Peridot wasn't sure why she did it. She didn't mean to. Did she? She wasn't even really sure of it herself. Moving closer to Amethyst bit by bit, the awkward silence was broken by a very quiet smooch on the cheek. Amethyst's eyes lit up as Peridot spoke very quietly "I... I think we've got a lot in common... to Amethyst..." Amethyst was speechless. She simply stared at Peridot with her eyes wide open. Before Peridot could say another word, Amethyst pulled her in for a tight embrace. Their lips locked as Peridot let go of her senses and let her instinct take over.

The ride finally moved to break up the romance, as their car finally came to a stop. Stumbling off the ride Peridot had no time to face the gravitas of the situation before she saw Steven, who had an ecstatic look about him. He had seen everything. "Oh my gosh...", he started. Peridot moved to interrupt him, but Steven moved quicker. "You guys kissed! Oh my gosh! We can go on double dates together! And we could-". Peridot cut him off mid sentence, "Steven you will not speak of this!" Steven looked dismayed, "Aw but Pe-". "No!", Peridot hissed. Steven crossed his arms in disappointment as Amethyst approached. "Hey Peri? You okay?" Peridot took a minute to take in everything that had just happened.

"I-I shouldn't have done that Amethyst. It was wrong. These things take time, and I rushed into it! I violated your space, your feelings, your-". Amethyst cut her off, "Woah woah woah slow down Perski! It's not that bad!" Peridot turned to Amethyst, looking distressed and on the verge of tears herself. Amethyst's fingers fidgeted a bit, "Look, if you aren't comfortable with it, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with telling me that." Peridot spoke quickly, "No it's not that! It's that, I'm... Unsure about the situation.". Amethyst started again, "So you're uncomfortable.". Peridot sounded indignant, "No! It's just I-no you, erm... I'm not really good with these things.".

Amethyst looked Peridot in the eyes, "Hey, we can talk about this later if you want." Peridot said nothing, but nodded reassuringly. Amethyst continued, "How about I take these two out for the rest of the day and give you time to think, okay? Besides, you've got your own set of problems right now with Lapis." Peridot's heart collapsed into her abdomen. Her whole world seemed to shatter at that moment. Lapis... She had always been there for Lapis. And now she was alone. Alone and upset, with nobody to stand by her. For as long as they had been friends, Peridot had never let this happen.

Peridot had a feeling she knew exactly where Lapis had gone. Without a moment's hesitation Peridot fled from the spot. She didn't want to stay at the carnival. She didn't want to have to confront Amethyst or her feelings ever again if she could help it. But she didn't want to go back to Lapis either. After all that had happened, and the fact she wasn't there for her in her moment of need, what could she say? If Peridot had a choice, she would have chosen to die right then and there. But she had a mission. A mission she would not fail. And without delay, she made her way back to the barn.


	3. Chapter 3 Back To The Barn

Peridot arrived at the barnyard, exhausted and roughed up from the journey. She wheezed and sputtered as she put in the last effort to climb the hill toward the field. She could barely make out Lapis curled up in a ball upon the truck lodged into the door. The sight of such a thing only served to egg Peridot forward. Despite the urgency of the situation, Peridot paused her movement just before she reached Lapis. She hadn't taken a moment to think of what to do or say once she got back. She picked a little gift up for her, but that was about it. Her mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Amethyst's kiss, Lapis' initial breakdown, and how she was going to hold it all together. It felt like she wanted to have a breakdown herself.

"I know you're standing there Peri.", Lapis called out. Peridot froze and stuttered for a moment. It was so like Lapis to do such a thing. Peridot could think of a million things she loved about Lapis, but her smugness was one thing she seldom tolerated. Nonetheless, she was now thrust into the spotlight, and she for once was absolutely silent. Lapis wiped her face clean of tears and turned to face Peridot below, dangling her feet off the edge of the truck. Peridot stood meekly at the entrance to the cornfield, gripping a small gift box tightly in her hands with a single balloon tied around her wrist from the carnival. The air was deathly still for at least a minute.

"I-I came to see how you were doing Lazuli.", Peridot spoke nervously. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here, but you know how long it takes to get here on foot." Lapis sighed heavily, "Yea, I'm sorry I left you guys like that. I didn't mean to get upset over something that silly." Peridot looked on concerned, "No! It's not silly! I understa-" Lapis cut her off abruptly, "You can't understand! You could never understand how that feels!" Peridot gasped softly, she hadn't meant for that to hurt Lapis. Lapis' face quickly went from anger to remorse. "I'm sorry Peri! It's just that I..." Peridot began crying a slight bit. Lapis continued quietly, "I appreciate that you want to help. But we've been over this before. I don't need you to placate me."

Peridot stood silent. She tried desperately to control her emotions, but the events of the day were far too overwhelming. And the trauma of it really showed. Lapis flew down and placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You had nothing to do with it. With the mirror, with Malachite, with Jasper, with anything... But you'll never be able to understand how badly that hurts me." Peridot took a deep breath, "Maybe not. But that's not going to change the fact that I'm trying to help you!" Lapis looked away for a moment, "I don't need your help..." Peridot moved to cut her off, "Yes you do! You always act like you can handle it, but you can't! Days like today make that painfully obvious Lapis! Why can't you just let somebody help you for once! I don't care if I can't see it from your point of view, there's got to be something I can do to ease that pain! And I'm not going to stop trying anytime soon!"

Lapis took a step back, stunned at Peridot's sudden outburst. Another moment of silence passed between them before Peridot continued, "I don't know how to help you though. I have no idea where to start. Maybe I'd have a clue if you'd just stop shutting me out! You've already admitted you have a problem, but if you keep pushing me away, you're just wallowing in misery for the sake of it!" Now Lapis retaliated, more defensively than ever, "Now you listen here! Do you have any idea what it's like to have to contend with the constant fear of being alone!? I don't bring it up because I don't want to make myself into a burden for you to carry! You're the closest friend I've ever had! You're the closest thing to a-..." Lapis cut herself off. She wasn't sure how to end that sentence. Peridot took advantage of the hesitation, "A what, Lapis?" Lapis sputtered and waved her arms "That's not important! What's important is I don't want to lose you! Or Steven! Or anyone else! I spent 80% of my life trapped in a makeshift prison alone, and I'm not going back!"

Peridot gritted her teeth angrily, "I'm not asking you to go back! I'm just asking for the some freaking honesty! What kind of relationship do we have if we can't be open and honest with each other? If we can't have that, then our relationship is nothing but a load of... of bullshit!" Lapis grabbed her chest, deeply offended by Peridot's tirade. Peridot seemed to be steaming off of her hair. Lapis, barely holding back her tears, wordlessly fled into the barn. Peridot stood there, taking in her surroundings as slowly as she could. Finally she let her tears fall freely and quietly. For one reason or another, she felt like she had lost her best friend. She slowly dragged herself into the barn, making careful effort to avoid making any contact with Lapis across the room. Balling up on the beaten sofa upstairs, she did what she did best when she got depressed, and binged Camp Pining Hearts until she lost track of time.

It was many hours later, while Peridot was already well into watching the same season thrice, when Lapis finally climbed the ladder to Peridot's bed quietly as she could. She slumped herself against the sofa near Peridot's feet and spoke quietly, "So is this season 4?" Peridot did her best to pretend she wasn't there. "Cause you know I haven't seen all of it yet, but I know I've seen this one at least 50 times." Peridot maintained her silence, merely turning up the volume on the television a few clicks. Lapis closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, "I'm sorry." Peridot paused the episode and looked down at Lapis, "I'm sorry too." Lapis huffed, "Why do we do this to each other?" Peridot shuffled a slight bit wordlessly. "I mean, I know we don't hate each other.", Lapis continued. "But I can't understand why we constantly have these fights! And they're getting worse!"

Peridot was searching for something to say. Finally she spoke, "It's all communication, Lazuli. Just like I said. But if you don't want to talk about certain 'things' I understand..." Lapis quickly interrupted, "No you were right. It took a while to realize it, but you're right. We're best friends, I shouldn't hide things like this from you because I'm afraid I'll just become dead weight." Peridot sat up from her slouch and looked Lapis in the eyes, "I don't think you're dead weight..." Lapis raised her voice into a shout, "But what if that's what I become!? I don't want our friendship to become a dependence! You shouldn't have to worry about me like that." Peridot's eyes began to waver, but she stayed strong, "Lapis we rely on each other. I want to help you not because I feel sorry for you, but because you genuinely need someone close to you. You were right about one thing. You've spent most of your life in isolation, isn't it time you had a real friend?" Lapis was playing with the splinters on the floor, fidgeting and trying her best to keep her composure. But the two of them began to feel something strange, as if a whole burden was being lifted from their shoulders. It was a warm sensation of trust, of flexibility, of friendship. It was something they hadn't felt in a long time.

Lapis climbed on top of the couch and wrapped herself around Peridot. Peridot felt the blush rush to her cheeks. If she had a heart, it would be racing right now. Lapis noticed and was quick to check in, "You uh, don't mind if I sleep up here with you right?" Peridot smiled, "No, I think I like it actually! Lapis laughed quietly, and picked up the remote to resume the episode. The two spent the night on the couch, watching Camp Pining Hearts. They only made it a few episodes further, before falling asleep on top of each other. In that moment, the one moment of true peace of mind, Peridot felt as she drifted off her mind fade into clouds. She was losing conciousness, and greeted sleep as an old friend. It's been a long day, and tomorrow seems so far away. Maybe that's for the best.


	4. Chapter 4 Professor Garnet PHD

Lapis awoke with a daze. The bitter earthy taste of hardwood filled her mouth. She wasn't sure if it was the grogginess of the morning air, but something felt different. And as she came to, she realized it felt very different. She realized she had fallen off the balcony onto the floor in the center of the barn. A sudden rush of thoughts flooded her head, and many of them didn't feel like her's. "Wait a minute...", she said audibly. "Since when do I have-" She cut herself off. That wasn't her voice. These weren't her hands. And she had never worn a visor in her life. When Peridot finally rushed in, it became abundantly clear what had happened. Hiddenite shrieked with a voice loud enough to awaken Veggie from their slumber. Smacking her head on the roof, she stumbled back against the far wall, her hair collapsing into her eyes.

Brushing it aside she realized she had 4 arms, and flowing long neat hair, a visor with 4 eyes, a smallish skirt over a partially open suit, but something was missing. She realized what it was feeling up her new face. She realized that Jasper's gem was nowhere to be found. Malachite was gone, she hadn't returned. In her gem's place was a large cut triangular gem on her forehead. In realizing this, she began to laugh. And laughter turned into tears of joy. It was... okay! "Is this what it feels like?", she said aloud to no one in particular. Carefully crawling on all six out of the barn she stood up straight. She looked down on the roof of her home and realized her line of sight was at least 8 or 9 feet above it. She snickered nasally and shouted, "Not so short anymore? Eh, Lazuli?"

Hiddenite looked around, as if expecting a response that would never come. For she had already answered herself. "So we fused, now what?", she said. She resolved that this experience was far too new and uneasy to go it alone. In a split second decision, she began to gallop as quickly and carefully as she could to the beachhead. Steven sat in a chair on the balcony table of his home. He was reading a book and treating a minor sunburn from yesterday's outing. Pearl stepped outside into the crisp summer air. "Good morning Steven.", she said in her cheerful manner. "Hey Pearl! Check this out!", Steven replied excitedly. "What am I supposed to be looking at Steven?", Pearl said. "Over there in the distance! See the ship?", Steven continued. Pearl could make out the distant figure of a large cruise ship skimming the horizon. "Lars decided to take Sadie on that cruise with his family this summer. I think they're really starting to like each other." Steven spoke with a lot of hope in his voice. Pearl tried her best to seem interested, although most of the time she couldn't remember any of Steven's friends. "Oh! Well that's nice of him Steven."

Just then Pearl began to make another shape out, but much closer. It began with a disturbance in the wave patterns, and approached the beach rapidly. Pearl froze with fear for a moment, and shook it off. Summoning her spear in preparation for whatever this was, she spoke to Steven very quietly as not to panic the two inside. "Steven, I want you to get inside." Steven looked up curiously at Pearl, eking a bit of nervousness in his voice, "Pearl? What's wrong? What do you see?" Pearl reaffirmed her command louder this time, "Now Steven! Get inside the house!" The figure began to rise from the shallower waters and stumble onto the beach. Pearl threw her spear at the figure's chest, but one of the menacing hands caught the spear halfway, bursting it into a shower of spent energy. Suddenly, it called out, "Wait! Guys! Don't panic! It's me, Lapis! I mean Peridot! I mean, oh geez who am I again?" Pearl was reaching for another spear when Steven jumped in front to block her vision. "Pearl! Wait!" Pearl shouted at Steven, "Steven! Get inside! This isn't your battle!" Steven shouted again, "No, it's not what you think! Listen to her!" Pearl paused for the briefest of moments. Hiddenite knelt to become eye level with the balcony. "Look, I know this is weird, but Peridot and Lapis just fused. I need your help to figure out what's going on!" Pearl looked like she had seen a ghost, blank faced and unmoving. Suddenly her voice raised into a steady yell, "Garnet!"

The Crystal Gems assembled on the beach moments later. Garnet moved about Hiddenite's legs like a curious dog meeting a new human. She inspected every inch she could possibly reach, and climbed to the one's she couldn't. Her constant verbal questioning began to feel more like an interrogation. Finally Hiddenite interrupted Garnet's long-winded analysis of the situation. "Excuse me, Garnet, do you mind if I ask a few questions instead." Garnet made a face that the gems knew only too well. It was the 'let me educate you on fusion' face. "Yes, whatever the question is I'm sure I know the answer." Hiddenite paused and thought to herself. After a minute of thinking she asked, "How is it possible to have synchronized and fused in our sleep?" Garnet's face wore a smug grin that seemed like it had been saved for this very moment. "Love." The word seemed to bother Amethyst a slight bit. Hiddenite didn't seem satisfied with the response. "But how!? Neither of us, or them, were fully conscious!" Garnet spoke softly, "It doesn't matter. At some point last night, your gems came within full synchronization and your physical forms fused. Whether you knew it, or not. In short, love is the answer."

Hiddenite sat down gently on the sand. She leaned back with her extra arms and rested her head in the other two. With a deep sigh she pondered the next question. "How do we, unfuse?" Garnet's smile faded a bit. "You'll know when it happens." Hiddenite facepalmed, "Ugh, that's useful to know." Garnet shrugged, "I'll only say what's best for you. You need to trust I've got your best interests in mind." She adjusted her visor a bit to refract the sun's rays. Steven leaned over to Amethyst's ear, "Future vision..." Amethyst looked a slight bit irritated. Hiddenite asked again, "Okay then, how do we fuse again?" Garnet's comment was unwavering, "Love." Hiddenite had run out of patience, and fell backwards splayed out on the shore. "Ugh! Why are you always so cryptic!" Garnet frowned, "I'm not being cryptic. There's no need to be cryptic." Hiddenite pounded a fist into the sand, "Yes you are! None of this makes sense! What does it all mean!?" Garnet sighed, "It's not as complex as you think it is Hiddenite. It can be very simple if you understand it." Hiddenite shrieked, "Understand what!?" Garnet began singing softly, "There's nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time..." Steven jumped in, ukelele in toe, "It's easy!" The two began singing together, "All you need is love! All you need is love! All you need is love! Love... Love is all you need..."

Hiddenite tried to hide it, but she couldn't help but crack a wide smile. Sitting up and letting the sand shower off of her back, she did her best to understand it. "So, you're saying I am the answer?" Garnet threw up her arms in satisfaction, "Yes! That's exactly it! You embody the love and trust that exists between Lapis and Peridot. You will fuse and maintain that fusion only when that bond is at its strongest. That's who you are. That's who I am. That's fusion." Hiddenite stood up, and began to look confused, "That's great! But, what do I do now?" Garnet spoke very sternly, "Hiddenite, you are not two people. And you are not one person." Remembering this part of her talk, Steven jumped in once more, "You are an experience! Now go have fun!" Hiddenite's smile widened, "Yes. Yes! I'm gonna have fun!" And without another word, she bolted off around the corner and disappeared from view. Garnet looked down at Steven, "Please try not to steal my thunder next time." Everybody laughed, well almost everyone. Amethyst's laughter was more of a nervous chuckle. Almost as if she was faking it. Steven had a way of knowing these things.

As the group began to dissolve and move on with their days, Steven paid close attention to Amethyst. It felt like she was withdrawn, almost as if she was hiding something. And it didn't take Steven long to put two and two together and figure out what it was. But he didn't dare confront Amethyst about it. Not yet at least, for now it was better to leave her be.


	5. Chapter 5 Amethyst Makes Her Move

(Author's Note; Sorry this chapter took so long. I've been having a rough and tumble time lately and I really didn't have any time to finish the story. But now I should be uploading chapters a bit more frequently. Thanks for your patience guys.) 

Amethyst didn't need to sleep obviously. Her gem naturally provided any energy she needed to survive. But acting closer to human than her contemporaries it was well-known she enjoyed her down time. Just not nearly as often as she did now. Days had gone by since Hiddenite appeared and time only seemed to worsen Amethyst's depression. Garnet and Pearl were practically lost trying to figure out what had happened but Steven was acutely aware. He just wasn't quite sure how to approach such a delicate situation.

The day came when he decided it was time to bring it back up to her. While he had some experience in the matter, (what with his mother being the longtime love interest of his guardian Pearl and his father Greg) he had never dealt with a living love triangle. But seeing Amethyst so out of her game was more than a motivator for young Steven. He would find a resolution or at least fail trying. Garnet and Pearl were out of the house and there was no better time. Amethyst had passed out on the couch, her silky white hair draped over the arm, eyes closed staring at the ceiling.

Steven approached cautiously, searching for something to say. "Hey Amethyst...", he spoke. Amethyst opened her eyes briefly as she peered over to Steven. "Hey little man...", she said nonchalantly. Steven shuffled his feet a bit, "Mind moving your legs a bit so I can have a seat?" Amethyst sighed deeply and rolled her legs in. Steven plotzed onto the open cushion and slouched into the couch. The house remained quiet for a short time. Steven was beginning to sleep himself when his mind snapped back into action. He spoke quickly as he woke up, not realizing he was vocalizing the first thoughts that hit his head, "Oh yeah, Amethyst and Peridot!" Amethyst's head shot up at Steven. Steven scratched his hair nervously. "What exactly do you mean by that Steven?", Amethyst retorted.

Steven took a deep breath in, "You've been kind of withdrawn lately. Don't think we haven't noticed." Amethyst tried her best to bottle her emotions up, "Yeah, I'm tired. What's that got to do with me and Peri?" Steven moved to speak almost as soon as she finished, "I know the others haven't really noticed why but I do. I remember what happened at Funland the other day. I know that left an impression on you. When Lapis fused with her, I saw that look on your face. You were jealous, maybe even a bit resentful. Amethyst be honest with me, do you like Peridot?" Amethyst seemed a bit at a loss for words. Steven was always good at seeing through facades. It couldn't really be helped as much as she had hoped. "Steven, I..." Amethyst couldn't complete the thought.

She shot glances in every direction, as if to make sure that Steven's ears were the only pair within range. "I guess she's okay. I mean, she did kind of make the first move there and..." Steven gave Amethyst a look of slight disbelief. As if he knew she was holding something back. Amethyst looked as if she had the world to bear on her shoulders. "Okay! I admit it! I love her! I love everything about her! I love it when she tries to act smart! I love her happy-go-lucky attitude! She's so cute, and funny, and loveable..." Steven's eyes lit up for the briefest of moments before settling back down. Amethyst settled in as well. "Oh man, what am I supposed to do!? I mean, just look at the way Lapis looks at her! She's already fused with her! What chance do I have getting between them anyway?"

Steven put his hand on Amethyst's shoulder. "Amethyst, it's not easy having to deal with this, I know. But you aren't solving anything by sitting around and moping about it." Amethyst had tears running down her cheeks already, "Then what should I do!?" Steven shrugged, "Have you tried just being honest with her?" Amethyst paused herself before Steven continued, "I know you already came out to her with your feelings but I think you need to bring Lapis into the equation. Maybe all three of you can come to a solution!" Amethyst kicked up the dust on the floor, "Not with Lapis. Like that would ever wor-" She stopped herself. She had an idea, "Wait, I have the perfect idea. I'll be back later Steven!" And without another second she was diving for the warp pad. Steven had no time to react, he simply made a confused grunt before Amethyst's shape disappeared in a flash of light.

A few days before, Lapis and Peridot had returned to their barn. Veggie was quite happy to see their owners again and greeted them with a warm run around their legs. Walking into the barn they had realized just how much damage fusing inside the structure had initially caused, but that was certainly no difficult task for the great and loveable Peridot. She happily began the task of once again re-planning the barn's layout and fixing it up to the best of her ability. While Lapis was content to watch for the most part, she had a hand in much of the heavy lifting. Working in tandem seemed to suit them well. Too well in fact. They were still working on the barn when Amethyst arrived, and they had decided it would be easier to work as Hiddenite than separately. Not that this did Amethyst any favors upon arrival. She had a momentary doubt where she was ready to turn back, but she would press on ahead. She came this far, and she wasn't about to let a little fusion throw her off.

Hiddenite was busy affixing new shingles to the roof she had destabilized when she heard a voice from below, "Hiddenite!" She turned to see Amethyst staring back up at her. "Do you think I could see Peridot for a minute?" Hiddenite looked a bit discouraged, "Aw come on! I just got here! Can't I stay together for a bit? You can see her later." Amethyst reaffirmed her position a bit more forcefully now, "No! I really need to see her! Away from Lapis! It's important!" Seeing there was no way to win this argument, Hiddenite sat down quietly on the grass and unfused. Lapis and Peridot stood up from their fumbling to face Amethyst. Lapis looked at Amethyst irritated, "What's this about Amethyst?" Amethyst shot a half-glance at Peridot, "It's a matter that just concerns Peridot and the rest of the Crystal Gems. It's got nothing to do with you."

Lapis wasn't quite satisfied with her answer, "Peridot. What's going on?" Peridot had a terrible sinking feeling she knew exactly what Amethyst wanted from her. As much as she wanted so badly to run away, she knew she was running out of options. "I don't know Lapis..." Lapis tapped her foot impatiently, staring Peridot down with a disappointed stare, "Are you sure about that?" Peridot tried her best to look innocent, "I'm telling you Lapis I have no idea what's going on! Would I lie to you?" Lapis didn't want to let it go, but looking into her friend's affectionate eyes she decided that this was a lost cause. She'd just have to trust her on this. "Fine." Lapis said, "I'm just gonna keep re-tiling the roof. Don't take too long."

Amethyst wasted little time in pulling the small gem out of earshot. Peridot looked panicked, confused, angry, annoyed, and terrified all at once. "What the hell Amethyst!?" Amethyst grabbed her shoulders, "Perski, we need to talk about last week." Peridot nearly escaped Amethyst's grasp, "No! I gotta get back to-" Amethyst nabbed Peridot as she tried to scramble off to the barn "Oh no you don't! We need to talk and that's exactly what you're gonna do!" Peridot tried to struggle against her friend's crushing grip to no avail, "Lapis! Lapis help me I'm being kidnapped!" Amethyst closed her lips mid-sentence, "Shut it! I want to know right now what's going on."

Peridot wanted nothing more than to disappear. She knew she'd eventually have to face Amethyst again after what had happened atop the ferris wheel. In the haze that was Hiddenite she had let the whole thing slip her mind. She was so enamored now with Lapis, but seeing Amethyst brought back feelings she had tried so hard to keep away. She could hardly speak, "I, uhm... Amethyst I meant..." Amethyst blurted out, "Now Peridot! I'll make it simple for you. Was that kiss for real or was all that for show? Peridot stammered up a response, "No! It was real! But not in like the love you sort of- What I meant was not so much as..." Amethyst had her fill of Peridot's games. She wanted every answer yesterday. She grabbed Peridot's chest and pulled her in close. "Yes or no!?" Peridot scrunched her face up as tight as she could clench, "Yes..."

Amethyst dropped Peridot to the ground. Peridot stared up at Amethyst, who looked like she had a frustrated expression. Amethyst sighed, "So you like me then, huh Peri?" Flustered and shaking nervously, Peridot responded, "Yes. But, but me and Lapis..." Amethyst had her hands firmly fastened to her hips, "You and Lapis what?" "We already have something!" Peridot blurted out. Amethyst's face looked like it was moments away from boiling over. "I'm sorry Amethyst. But I like Lapis. And she likes me! We've got so much in common! And we find new ways to love each other every day!" Amethyst's eyes began to show hints of tears, "But then where does that leave me, huh!?"

Peridot felt horrible. She had inadvertently created a love triangle that was already spiraling out of control. And now she was at it's very core. Oh how she hated that thought. "I don't know... I'm sorry..." Amethyst put her hand to her face as if to hold back the tears, "You're sorry? You're sorry!? Gee, sorry for playing around with your emotions Amethyst! I've got the hots on for the big water mama back at the barn but I have no frickin' clue how to say no!" Peridot had reached her breaking point and she snapped accordingly, "It's hard for me to do that okay!? You looked so upset and so hurt! What did you want me to do!?" "Try being honest for once!", Amethyst retorted. "You want me to be honest? Fine! I like both of you! You're both so nice to me! You're sweet and funny and cute and, and...", Peridot paused.

Amethyst looked puzzled for a moment before Peridot finished, "And I'm sorry I started all this. I don't want to choose between you two. And if I have to choose, I don't want to lose the other as a friend!" Peridot's voice broke up at the thought of losing one of her dearest friends. Tears streamed down her face like rain. Amethyst seemed to calm down a bit. "I'm sorry for yelling Peri. I was just so confused. I should have seen this coming with both of you living together and all. If making you choose between us makes you that uncomfortable, I'll just leave it alone." Peridot held out her hand, "Wait! Can we still be kind of close friends? Like maybe not love like that but still sort of..." Amethyst rushed in for a hug. Peridot wrapped herself in Amethyst's warm embrace. She felt a wet kiss leave her neck.

Peridot's face was left completely flustered, "Amethyst, I..." Amethyst smiled cheekily, "Whatever you say Peri. Whatever you say." Amethyst walked away to find the warp pad back to the beach. Peridot wiped the kiss mark dry to hide it from Lapis' prying eyes. As she started her slow waltz back to the barn she let the thoughts roll through her head. She didn't like this one bit. There was no way she could get away with dating Lapis in public and Amethyst in secret. Right? Maybe she could she thought to herself. As she walked through the open door she found Lapis not on the roof but inside. A crumpled blue colored gift box lay on the floor with a smudged tag that read "For Lapis".

Lapis' gift from the other day. She had totally forgotten to give her the gift! It must have been crushed when they fused and buried under a pile of debris. Looking up she saw Lapis holding a large plush dolphin in her hands. Her eyes were wide with love and wonder. "Peri... Did you get this for me?" Peridot nodded blushing, "I wanted to er, give you something to help you when you felt sad like you were the other day. You know, for when I'm not there. You know, Mr. Alien was a big help for me sometimes, so I got you a dolphin. You know, because..." Lapis snickered, "Water's my thing." Peridot laughed, "Yeah! Water is your thing!" Lapis tossed the plush toy onto her hammock and picked Peridot up by the shoulders. Bringing her in for an embrace, she smooched her on the lips.

"Peri, I really do love you." Peridot laughed again nervously, "I love you too Lapis." The two embraced again and spent the rest of the day on top of each other. Neither would let the other out of their sight. It was a sweet and seemly sort of love they had developed for each other. A fond friendship grown into something blossoming with goodness. Peridot wondered to herself how long that would last. She didn't want to hurt anyone. But she knew eventually she would have to tell Lapis the truth. She would have to choose and she'd have to do it in a way that would suit everyone. For now though, she could keep lying. Lapis was happy, and Amethyst was too. As long as that was true, she could try to be happy. For everyone's sake, she had to be happy. So for the moment being, she pushed down her lingering fear, and focused on the here and now.


	6. Chapter 6 Movie Night Fight

Lapis got an early start to the morning. She didn't need a reason to be up this early, she simply enjoyed the feeling. The cool and crisp early morning air, the feeling of the wet dirt between her toes, the smells of the fresh grown fields. She felt a calm sensation overwhelm her. Veggie's echoing barks and yelps on the morning air indicated that Peridot would soon awaken.

Peridot was getting off to a groggy start by contrast. Dragging her feet across the floor she made her way to the barn's entrance. She could easily make out the top of Lapis' hair in the sea of green in front of her. "Lapis! I'm up!", she called. Lapis turned to see Peridot weakly waving by the barn door. Deciding it was time to head in anyway, she flew from the fields toward Peridot. "Morning Peri.", she said jubilantly. It wasn't uncommon to find Lapis in a good mood nowadays. But today she looked like Armageddon couldn't wreck her day. Peridot was tired but at least her mind wasn't frayed. "Good morning Lapis", she spoke in-between a long yawn. "You okay Peri?", Lapis asked. "Yea, just a bit tired.", Peridot responded.

Lapis couldn't help but wonder if Peridot felt something other than tired. Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar whistling. The two turned to see Jamie climbing the hill from the road. He had a handful of mail and a small package in his arms. "Ooh! The mail's here!", Peridot said as she shook herself awake. Jamie handed Peridot her package as he began sorting through various letters. "Package for Peridot and let's see... I have 4 letters for the two of you." Lapis graciously took the letters and turned to see Peridot greedily eviscerating her package as Jamie walked away. "What did you order?", Lapis asked.

Peridot held up a tan-colored baseball cap with a green leaf symbol on the front. "Just some more Camp Pining Hearts merch!" Peridot shoved the hat into her hair, causing it to comically poof through the back and out the front. "Oh, right... I forgot..." Peridot said discouraged. Lapis snickered loudly, "Hold on, let me give you a hand with that." Lapis sat Peridot down on one of the oil drums by the barn. Taking her time she carefully slicked Peridot's stubborn hair back, taming it into two ponytails. "There, now keep your eyes closed." Lapis fastened Peridot's hat to her head and picked up a mirror. "Okay, now you can open them." Peridot was astonished at her new look. "Lapis, this is amazing!" Peridot embraced her friend in a soft hug.

Lapis blushed deeply, "It's just a little something I saw once on TV. You're welcome Peridot." Suddenly Lapis remembered, "Oh yeah, I still need to check the mail! Picking up the pile of letters she scrolled through each one carefully. "What did we get?", Peridot asked. "Let's see; cable advertisement, letter from Mr. IRS again..." Peridot sighed disgusted, "Ugh, when will he leave us alone!?" Lapis continued, "We got another magazine ad, and a letter from Steven!" The last part caught Peridot's attention. "Let me see let me see!" Lapis read the letter aloud, "Dear Lapis and Peridot, you've been cordially invited to come to Steven Universe's super awesome movie night. Please come in pajamas and bring your favorite choice of film. Hope to see you there, signed Steven Universe."

"Yes!", Peridot squealed enthusiastically. "Time to watch the one hour Season 5 Special of Camp Pining Hearts! And what great timing for you Lapis! You're only 5 episodes away from this point in the series!" "How is it?", Lapis asked. "You'll never be fully prepared for the twists and turns of this one Lapis! This'll leave you crying on the floor begging for more!" Lapis was more than satisfied with that synopsis. Later that night, Lapis and Peridot generated pajama outfits and headed out. Peridot grabbed the special and Lapis took her favorite cult classic 'Gone With The Breeze'. They made it to the door just as the sun began to set. Steven opened the door, "Ah, you guys are just in time! Come on in and get settled on the bed."

The pair stepped inside. Steven directed them to lay their films in a pile of movies with each guest's name labeled on the front. Garnet, being unable to decide between 'Mission Improbable 2' and 'Citizen Bane' decided to unfuse and select both films. Pearl brought 'And Then There Were Some' while Greg stuck with a favorite of his; 'Galactic Wars V, The Empire Strikes Again'. Connie of course brought her copy of 'Dogcopter III'. Amethyst lay on her belly at the edge of the bed, fidgeting with her copy of 'Stocky II' where she beckoned the pair to find their seats. It wasn't long before the popcorn was finished, the soda poured, and the movies were in full swing. By 1 AM the group was half asleep and nearly through Galactic Wars when Peridot noticed something. Amethyst was slumped over her head and playing with her ponytails.

The film echoed quietly in the dead silent room, "You've learned much young Skyfalker. But you are not a Jen'Dai yet..." "Is this the part where they fight dad?", Steven asked. Greg, who had fallen half asleep awoke quickly. "Huh? Oh yeah! Pay attention here Steven, here comes the big twist ending!" Peridot shuffled a bit to counter Amethyst's playing without her notice, when suddenly Lapis, now asleep with her dolphin, decided Peridot would be a great slumber pal. Leaning her arm unconsciously over Peridot's shoulder she pulled her in for a hug. Amethyst noticed this and began to tug a bit harder on Peridot's tails. Peridot was in absolute hell.

The film went on as another war played out silently without notice, "Impressive... Most impressive..." Lapis began to fall away from Peridot's body, but not before snagging her arm and dragging her down with her. Not loosening her grip either, Amethyst fell forward onto Peridot. The three lay together in a clump over the bed. Amethyst shot Peridot a playful smile, "Hey Per..." Peridot was anything but amused. Trying her best to wiggle out of the cluster of gems she eked out just enough to catch the rest of the scene. "Obi-Nan never told you what happened to your father..." Peridot wriggled her legs but to no avail. Amethyst wouldn't budge.

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him..." Amethyst unconsciously rolled over off of Lapis and right onto Peridot. Her screams were muffled by both Amethyst and the film. "No Duke, I am your father..." Steven nearly raised his voice into a yell, "What!?" Greg looked down at his son, "I'm right here Steven." "Dad! Is he lying? It can't be true! Right?" Peridot could hear or see none of it. Squirming violently she could barely tap the floor with her arms legs pinned down. Giving up she tried in vain to sleep. This was going to be a long night.

The next morning came as Pearl lifted Amethyst's body from Peridot, who had trouble standing up from her all night faceplant. Pearl gasped, "Oh! There you are! Lapis we found Peridot!" Peridot's grumbles were unheard, even as Pearl placed her standing up straight by the bed. Her face read of intense irritation and exhaustion. "Oh, sorry about that Perski...", Amethyst said through a yawn. Lapis flew into a quick hop toward Peridot. "Peri! Are you okay?" Peridot's voice was low and groggy, "Yeah, I'm fine..." Steven looked up at the scene just above his head, "Oh, hey Peridot! Sorry, you and Amethyst just missed breakfast. I can get you something from The Big Donut if you want..."

Peridot scoffed wordlessly. Amethyst however, hopped down and immediately snatched the 20 from Steven's hand. "Are you sure you aren't hungry Per?", she called. Peridot would've liked something to eat, but between being crushed half to death the whole night and having to continue dealing with this awful love triangle she decided to pass. "No thanks, I'll just skip on eating today." "Suit yourself.", Amethyst said before leaving. Lapis and Peridot bid the gems goodbye as they made a slow walk toward the beach head. "Are you sure you're alright? That didn't look too comfortable.", Lapis asked. Peridot was trying to wipe a smudge of spilt soda from her gem, "Just a bit of a gem-ache Lapis it's fine. Lapis knew something was up, and now looking around her she knew she had time to ask. "Peri, you've been acting very strange lately."

Peridot cringed one hand out of Lapis' view. Did she have to have another one of these conversations? Why oh why couldn't everyone just leave her be? Peridot tried to act like she couldn't hear her. "Peri, I know you can hear me perfectly fine. What's going on?" Peridot knew she had to say something. But what was she going to say? She had no idea. "Peri! Answer me!" Peridot took a deep breath, "It's, just there's a lot on my mind lately Lazuli. Nothing more." Lapis knelt to look her lover in the eyes, "Like what? You told me the relationship should be about honesty and communication. Well that works both ways. Now tell me what's going on."

Peridot was quickly running out of options again. She hated when she got like this. "Like a lot of things." Lapis was getting a bit irritated, "But what specifically!?" "I don't know!", Peridot shrieked. Lapis paused herself for a moment. "It's not any one thing in particular Lapis. I've just got a lot going on right now. Between you and Homeworld and the Crystal Gems and getting used to Earth and..." Lapis cut her off laughing a slight bit, "Okay I got it! No need to give me your life's story." Peridot looked up at Lapis with eyes that looked clearly hurt. "You can tell me anything, okay? Anything at all. And I trust that if something in particular is really bothering you, you'll talk to me." Peridot tried her best to smile for Lapis. "Now come on, what do you say we got to that nice diner in the next town over?"

Peridot was thrilled at that prospect. "Only if I can get the pancakes and the hash browns!" Lapis laughed, "We'll talk about it when we get there." Peridot hopped atop Lapis' back and the pair flew off into the sky. Peridot had narrowly averted Lapis' interrogation, but she needed to find a more permanent solution to this problem and fast. Lapis was certainly not stupid. And sooner or later she would have to know the truth...


	7. Chapter 7 Cream Tourmaline

Peridot was no stranger to awkward situations. But this was quickly becoming absolutely ridiculous. When would this romantic nightmare end? unbeknownst to Peridot, her troubles were only just beginning. The day started off rather unremarkable. Peridot went about her daily chores and routines. Being a technical gem, most of her responsibilities entailed mechanical work and gem maintainance. Peridot looked around the barn for anything looking out-of-place that fell into her purview. Television worked fine, truck ran well (not that it mattered), lights were fine, plumbing and gardening were simply spiffy...

Not a single bolt out-of-place! But something was missing. Of course! Basic gem maintainance! She scoffed at her forgetfulness. Lapis was out with Steven and the others, so her diagnostics would simply need to wait. In the meantime, it wasn't like she couldn't perform this function on herself. Peridot broke out the old human medical equipment. A repurposed EKG monitor, some old medical stands, and a few odds and ends of computer parts were all she needed to create a makeshift diagnostic monitor for her gem. Nothing was wrong or off about her state. Her core being showed no real signs of damage or decay and her physical properties were certainly up to snuff. For once, everything seemed to be going well.

"Morning Perski!" Peridot slipped into her makeshift machine and stumbled about cartoonishly. Amethyst was at the doorway, arms and legs crossed leaning in a stylish pose on the frame. Of course she had to show up now of all times. "Amethyst! What are you doing here? I thought you were with the others!" Amethyst shrugged, "I decided to bail a little early today. Besides, how could I miss this bonding opportunity with my 'friend'?" Peridot couldn't hide her blushing cheeks. This would certainly not end well. "So, what's all this you've got set up nerd?" Peridot brushed the dust from her torso and stood up straight in her matter-of-factly pose. "If you must know, I've repurposed this primitive Earth medical equipment into a fully functioning gem diagnostic monitor!" Just as she finished, the EKG monitor blew out. Peridot looked discouraged, "Well, half-functioning, but still!"

Amethyst looked like she had stopped paying attention ages ago. Her eyes seemed to wander aimlessly around the barn, but always seemed to fall right back onto Peridot. It was almost as if she was passively hiding her glances. "Yea, that's nice. Looks like you could use a hand with it." Peridot cringed at the thought. This was in every way a trap. Next move? Sprain the trap. "Yeah! Amethyst, hand me that old computer monitor won't you?" Amethyst heaved up the dinosaur monitor and set it gently in Peridot's arms. Peridot struggled with the weight, but eventually got it to its destination. Within a little while, the machine was back at full function. "Nice job Amethyst!" Amethyst smiled knowingly. "There's just one last thing to do! I need to attach the monitor wires to my gem and then to specific points on my physical form."

Amethyst most certainly saw her opportunity, and took it without hesitation. "Per? Would you mind if I gave you a hand?" Peridot gulped. This was exactly what she thought it was. But would she fight it? Nope. "Uhm, sure just uhm, I'll guide you through the steps. Amethyst took the first handful of wires and got to work. "Okay, attach the blue wires to the three corners on my gem and then one to the center. Amethyst made no effort to hide her true intentions obviously. It was a hands on project and she would use those permissions to the fullest extent she could. As she attached each wire, she made a point of it to feel around the curves and grooves of her partner's gem. Peridot knew every moment that went by was another moment she should have stopped or at least slowed down, but there was a part of her that wanted her to move even faster.

"N-now, attach the first two red wires to my chest and the darker red wires to my shoulders." Amethyst moved her hands to Peridot's breasts. Peridot twitched her arms for a minute as if to move to stop her, but they quickly found ease. Amethyst's expression could only be described as lustful. She gently tightened her grip and pushed the wires into her chest. Picking up the darker wires, she began to slowly massage the ends into Peridot's shoulders. Peridot was starting to become incoherent with her lustful desires. "And... Now take the-the green wires and attach them to my lower abdomen. Amethyst lunged in a tight embrace for Peridot's torso. Moving her hands lower and lower it became clear that there was no stopping what was coming now. Peridot let go entirely and pursed her lips in preparation. Slowly pulling her waist-first, Amethyst locked lips with Peridot. A brilliant flash of light engulfed the room for the briefest of moments, before fading away.

"Oof!" Tourmaline ducked and rubbed the top of her head tenderly. The next thought to hit her head was a little more relevent. "Oh no, it happened again!" Recalling how badly the barn was damaged last time, and not looking forward to how badly it could be damaged this time; Tourmaline tightened up into the smallest ball she could and made her way outside. She stood up and looked down at the roof. It was even further below her chin this time. She must be at least 45 feet tall, maybe more, maybe less. "Deja vu...", she mumbled quietly. She stood silent for another good minute, her velvet magenta hair billowing in the breeze against her sea foam green skin. The sun rays refracted off her visor into the distance, causing her to catch glimpse of some nearby broken glass on the ground below her. Looking into the mirror she saw the imprint of a violet star upon her left eye. "Yes! I finally have my star! I'm an official Crystal Gem now!"

Tourmaline began to hold a long conversation with herself. "Dude, can you imagine what our weapon must be like? Wanna try it out?" Reaching for her gems, Tourmaline removed the ends of a twin-tailed whip. Sparks and wisps of flame flew off the tips as she cracked it wildly. "Now this is what I call gratuitous!" The whip dissipated in a flash as she pondered what to do next. But her thoughts were pre-occupied with something else. "Lapis!" Tourmaline looked around confused, "Who? Oh yeah, Lapis!" Her confusion kept swapping with thousand yard gazes of fear. "Oh no! No! No! No! No! No! I can't let her see me like this! Amethyst, we need to unfuse right now! She could be back at any time!" Tourmaline retorted rather harshly toward herself, "Unfuse? But we just got here! So what if she see's us? Not like she can tell who we are inside right?" Taking another look at her very Ame-Dot-ish features, the other half concluded it was too risky.

"Absolutely not! Amethyst, don't get me wrong! I love you dearly, but there's no fooling anybody here! We can fuse, literally any other time and place. But this is not okay!" Tourmaline shrugged, "Maybe we could hide somewhere." Tourmaline threw her hands up into a shout, "Hide!? Are you cracked!? We're a 50 foot tall gem fusion in the middle of an Earth countryside! Who the hell is gonna be dumb enough to miss us!? A school of blind human children could find us out here!" Tourmaline was stubbornly holding her position however. "Look, if it makes you that uncomfortable, we can just go somewhere else, right?" Before she could talk back to herself again, she spotted a familiar figure in the sky closing in fast. "Lapis!" Tourmaline fussed about and struggled to separate. Time was running out. Within a few seconds, Lapis would be within earshot, and certainly within full view of the spectacle before her. Whether by luck or fate, Tourmaline split in the nick of time. Peridot and Amethyst hit the ground hard backs first.

Lapis landed between the two. "What's going on over here?", she asked curiously. Peridot was mere inches away from exploding in every sense of the word, when Amethyst jumped right in. "We were watching the clouds!" Lapis looked puzzled, but she wanted more than that. Turning to Peridot, she wordlessly asked the same question. Peridot was paralyzed at every single point on her body. She was way too deep in the thick of things now. If there was a turning point, an exit ramp somewhere, she missed it long ago. "We... We were sharing our experiences on Earth! She's never seen Homeworld, so I thought it'd be a unique perspective to learn! Maybe I could become more in touch with her and Earth! And what better way to discuss this than under the skies?" Lapis was entirely oblivious. She had a gut feeling that something was off, but she pushed it down. After all, what was a relationship without trust?

"Yeah, I guess I can see your point. Come on inside! I've got some great new material to show you!" As Peridot followed Lapis inside, she turned to wave goodbye for Amethyst. Something about this time was different though. Amethyst didn't look happy, or passionate, or even really joyful in any way. Gone was the sly little knowing smile. Instead she looked concerned, worried, maybe even fearful. It was at that moment the two of them realized the gravity of the situation. Amethyst was playing with fire and she knew damn well that she was on the verge of getting burned. Like it or not though, things between the three were certainly changing. Regardless of whether the change was good or bad, whether they liked it or not, and regardless of whom on the inside or out was aware of it. And it's this uncertainty that brought Amethyst the most concern. You don't want to piss off a Lapis Lazuli. It may just be the last mistake you ever make...


	8. Chapter 8 Wet Bedspread

(Author's Note; LEWD AHEAD. As if the chapter name didn't reveal that. But felt it fair enough to put a warning beforehand. Explicit sexual content ahead.)

It had now been months since Lapis and Peridot took their trip to Funland. The leaves on the trees had gone from relaxing shades of green to brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red. Autumn was in full swing and Halloween was merely weeks away. Lapis of course used the upcoming holiday as an excuse to riddle the barn with festive meepmorpish decor. Leaves adorned every wooden plank of the outer façade, glued there haphazardly by an overzealous Lazuli. This also meant harvest season was upon them, as their fields turned out ripe and plentiful bounties of vegetables. The majority made their way to the tables of Beach City, a few however made their way to makeshift guts the pair generated to enjoy their food.

The whole summer had been one long secretive love affair with Amethyst. And one long public love-a-palooza with Lapis. Peridot had somehow gotten used to the affair by now. Where months ago the idea of fusion was still a foreign concept to her, now she regularly found herself enveloped within the thoughts of both Lapis and Amethyst, encased in the shells of gigantic strangers. It was most certainly a different world now for the three. And Peridot had learned to accept it. She still had moments of tension and paranoia when her charade would occasionally slip up. But they were becoming few and far between. Everything was perfect with Lapis now. And Amethyst was always a pleasant presence in her life. But she had to work extra hard to make sure the two never met. If Lapis got even the slightest hint of mistrust or betrayal, it could all fall apart in a matter of minutes.

For now though, life was sweeter than ever. And Lapis had never been so happy. She had a best friend. Someone she trusted, told every secret, shared every moment with her as if she were the only being left alive. It was, comforting for her to know what an impact she had left. And even more comforting to know how much she meant to her. Peridot sat upon the edge of the truck, watching the sunset flare exotic shades of orange and violet reds across the evening sky. In a few minutes, night would fall. Lapis flew in to sit by her friend. "It's even more beautiful now, isn't it?" Peridot smiled widely, her hand met Lapis' between the two. "It's always beautiful when you're here." Lapis couldn't hide her bashful reaction. Peridot was a natural charmer for her. "Stop it you, be serious for a minute here..."

Peridot knew she had her right where she wanted her. "I can try, but I doubt I'll succeed. I keep getting lost in your eyes over the sunset." Lapis was far too easy to flatter. Or perhaps she really wanted the flattery. Needed it, in fact, for something else. Lapis moved her arm up around Peridot's shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. Her head fell onto her friend's shoulder, disturbing the mountain of hair on her head. Peridot felt a racing feeling of instantaneous desire overwhelm her. In those moments, Lapis was the sole occupant of her mindspace. Within a short while, the sun had set and the stars blanketed the sky. Lapis had nearly fallen asleep and now laid back into her friend's lap.

"Lapis, come on now wake up. Sunset's over." Lapis budged a slight bit, and rolled Peridot onto her back. Laying belly-first over Peridot, Lapis shot a sinful glance toward her. "Well isn't this comfy?" Peridot was beyond words at this point. Lapis made a sensual crawl toward Peridot's head. Hanging over her she spoke very softly, "What's the matter? You seem at a loss for words. Too much for you?" Peridot was panting like a dog, all she could think of at this point was how badly she wanted Lapis and how badly she wanted to be a part of her in every sense of the word. Lapis knew her time had come, and got straight to work. The pair's lips met and immediately dug in. Peridot was weak with envy, and began to moan almost immediately. But something was still off. "No!", she said. "Not like this." Lapis made a confused look. "If we're doing this, we're doing it the right way. Go downstairs and break out the mattress. I'll change-up here, you change down there." Lapis made haste for the barn.

Changing outfits for gems was of course incredulously quick. Within a moment, Lapis called for her lover. "Well, aren't you gonna come downstairs?" Peridot took a deep breath in. This was it. She was sure she was ready. And then she realized the one thing she was missing. A way downstairs. "Uhm, Lapis? I can't fly." Lapis paused for a moment and looked at Peridot's bare feet hanging over the truck's edge. She began to laugh hysterically and without break. "Lapis! How is this funny!? Get up here and get me down!" Lapis tried her best to stop laughing, but the best she could do was talk between guffaws. "I'm sorry, it's just... That's so freaking cute!" Peridot bit her lip. "At least pass something metallic outside that I can fit on?" Lapis slid out the top lid to the trash bin. Peridot lifted the object skyward and climbed aboard. Slowly lowering herself down, she posed laid back against the night skyline. Upon seeing Lapis, she stopped dead midair. She was absolutely stunning. Every curve, every shape, every single layer of exposed skin was absorbed by Peridot's unblinking gaze.

A loud clang was heard as she dropped the rest of the way down. Picking herself back up she continued to stare at her partner in the low light of the barn. Lapis beckoned her forward without word, and began to meet her halfway. Peridot could only utter small eeps and uhs, having passed the threshold of coherent speech. Grabbing her by the hips, Lapis pulled her in for a long and wet kiss. Steam clouded Peridot's visor, which soon disappeared in the heated exchange. Falling backwards onto the bedsheets, she stared back up at Lapis. "Lapis... Oh Lapis... I-" Lapis didn't let her finish. She pounced onto the sheets like a voracious predator, and locked lips again. Her hands met Peridot's breasts, which had become soft and warm from the foreplay. This was too easy. She had to go slower. Peridot began to lick her partner's breasts up and down, getting a full feel of their thick and hefty demeanor. For an average sized gem, she had surprisingly large tits. All the more room for Peridot.

Lapis felt her pussy touch her partner's and instantly became wet at the prospect. She began to grind hard into Peridot's torso, causing Peridot to scream with pleasure. It was becoming far too much to bear. Lapis bit down hard into Peridot's tit. Gliding her tongue up and down her body, she made a point to bite every part of the body that may cause them pleasure. When she finally reached the pussy, there was no doubt what she would do next. Her tongue worked great wonders for Peridot, who was on the verge of passing out. Lapis wasn't far behind. The sheets were so thoroughly soaked, a small puddle had formed below them and now spread across the floor. Grabbing Peridot's breasts one last time, Lapis pulled herself into a thrust. Reaching synchronization, the two melded into Hiddenite. Hiddenite smacked into the far wall of the barn and rubbed her head. "Man, I have to stop doing that!"

Deciding there was nothing more to do, Hiddenite laid back, sticking her legs out the barn door. Double the sets of arms meant double the pleasure, right? She got to work finishing herself off, crushing her breasts with one set of arms and vigorously rubbing her clit with the other. The quiet night air was penetrated by the screams and moans of Hiddenite's rapid masturbation. It didn't take long for Hiddenite to hit that critical point. Her head falling backwards in pleasure, she came to full orgasm. She lay there for a while, panting loudly while staring at the ceiling inches from her face. "That- that was amazing..." Hiddenite now sat outside the barn, leaning against the wall staring at the town in the distance. "Where did you learn all that?" Hiddenite chuckled, "You know, the internet..." Peridot began to realize just how much time she spent in conversation with herself as a fusion.

"Shouldn't we unfuse now? I mean, it is getting late." Hiddenite saw her own point, and unfused. The night was mostly quiet following their little alone time. Peridot couldn't find sleep the same way she did the night before. Lapis, by contrast, slept soundly the whole night. But Peridot's thoughts were racing once again. As hard as she tried, she couldn't put her fears to rest this time. She had just had sex with Lapis. Passionate, vigorous sex. This was getting well beyond her control now. How long would it be before Amethyst did the same? Maybe even in the same bed! Another emotion was consuming her now, guilt. Gone was the pleasure and desire of the evening's events, now replaced with a dreadful guilt. She was a fraud. She was hurting them both in ways they couldn't perceive. It couldn't possibly go on forever. And she had the feeling the end was very near.


	9. Chapter 9 Heartbroken

As the days began to grow shorter and colder, Peridot spent the time considering her options. It was well past time for her to make a decision. But that didn't mean it was going to be an easy one. She eventually settled on talking it out with Amethyst. After all, she was the only other inside party in the know. Whether this meant she was breaking up with her or not was irrelevant. If she was, she'd tell her in person. And if not, she'd have to figure out how to let Lapis down easy later on. And so she made her way toward Steven's house and the Crystal Temple. She didn't get more than 15 feet out the door when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Surprise!" Peridot stopped dead in her tracks. Amethyst was once again leaning against the barn door, arms and legs crossed as if anticipating something. "Well, that just saved me a walk.", Peridot said flatly. "Aw, just can't stand to be away from me, huh Peri?" Amethyst's voice carried a lofty flirtation that caressed Peridot's ears. No, enough flirting. This had to end now, one way or another. "Amethyst, we need to talk." Amethyst chuckled quietly before leaning towards Peridot. "I prefer actions to words if you don't mind." Peridot felt ill, almost deathly so, all she wanted was to follow Amethyst's lean in for a kiss. But she knew it wasn't right. She either broke up here on the spot or confessed her undying love. And it would be done through words. No more sex, no more fusion, just plain and honest words.

"No!", Peridot shrieked. Amethyst snapped out of her flirtatious mood. She stared blankly at the gem before her, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Amethyst, I really need to talk to you about this whole thing we have going. It's not okay. I'm not okay. I've hurt Lapis, and it's hurting you too!" Amethyst interrupted, "I don't feel hurt by it. I know who you really like..." Peridot stomped her foot into the dirt. "No! That's enough! Stop manipulating me!" Amethyst tightened her hands into fists. "What!? Manipulating you!? All we've done is by your consent! I can't force you to do anything!" Peridot raised her voice into a loud shout, "Yes you can! And yes you have! I can't stand this anymore! I can't continue living my life like it's just one big lie!" Amethyst screamed at the top of her lungs, "Is that what I am to you!? Just a great big lie!? I'm just some dirty little secret for you to hide away from everybody else right!?"

Peridot wiped away her tear stains with her arm. "No. I'm just, having a tough time dealing with this. I know this is all my fault. In truth, I'm the one manipulating you. I've played both of you for fools. All because I'm too scared to face you. So I've tried to live a double life, but even that won't work anymore. It isn't fair for me to do that. I hope you can forgive me, cause I don't know if I can forgive myself..." Peridot began to break up on that last sentence. Amethyst's rage seemed to completely disappear. "Hey! Don't cry, it's okay!" Peridot looked on lovingly into Amethyst's eyes. "Does this mean we're through Perski?" Peridot fell back into the dirt defeated, "No, well not exactly. I don't know. All I know is I'm through trying to keep this ruse up. It's either me and you or me and Lapis."

Amethyst joined Peridot on the ground. After a good minute of silence, Amethyst spoke. "So who is it gonna be?" Peridot rolled over to look at Amethyst, "I don't know. It's so difficult to choose just one of you. I have no idea how I'm gonna make this decision." A sly grin spread across Amethyst's face. "Well, is there any way I can influence your decision?" Peridot stood up confused, "Huh?" Without another word, Amethyst stood up and pulled Peridot in for a kiss. "How many points was that worth? Do you still love me?" Peridot's eyes were starstruck. "I, I do love you Amethyst..."

Just then, Peridot's heart plummeted into her stomach. She froze solid with incredible fear. Just behind Amethyst's embracing arms, stood Lapis Lazuli. She had witnessed everything. "Lapis..." Lapis was awestruck at the scene before her. Her best friend, her sole confidant, now stood before her in pure guilt. Lapis grit her teeth as tears began streaming down her face. Amethyst turned slowly to see what was going on behind her. "What. Are. You. Doing?"


	10. Chapter 10 The Tsunami Rises

Peridot's entire world ceased to exist. Here she was, caught in a full on betrayal of her love. She had no defenses, no explanations, and absolutely no way out. Whatever she had, was now clearly over. "Lapis, I'm sorry!" Lapis screamed out at Peridot, "Shut up! Get the hell out of my way!" Materializing a hand from the nearby pool, Lapis flung Peridot out-of-the-way into the barn wall. She had a very clear target and an even more clear vendetta. Amethyst materialized her whip immediately, "Lapis! Back off!" Lapis was not fooling around, her only focus was Amethyst's gem. "You! You home wrecker! You bitch! You whore! I'm going to tear your gem in half!" Amethyst lunged straight for Lapis, whip in toe. Lapis' ethereal arm whacked her aside, sending her tumbling into the cornfield.

"You don't want to do this Lapis! I don't want to hurt you!" Lapis wasn't listening, she only saw vengeance. "Just shut up and die already!" The hand came down again, this time narrowly missing Amethyst. Amethyst's dodge became a counter-attack, as she flung her whip around to catch Lapis' torso off guard. Lapis took the blow full force and fell face-first into the dirt. Lapis began wildly swinging her own water whips back and forth, forcing Amethyst back onto the defensive. "Just quit it and listen to me for a second!" Lapis wasn't even going to dignify her with a response. Crossing her arms she made an x motion with her whips, knocking Amethyst to the ground. Amethyst balled up and charged for Lapis at full speed. It was clear there was only one way this battle could end, in someone's demise. Amethyst struck Lapis just as Lapis raised herself a shield. The impact was still enough to knock Lapis onto her backside.

With one fell swoop, Amethyst flung her whip around Lapis' body, knotting her into submission. "Lapis, it's over! Give it up before someone gets hurt!" Lapis laughed insanely, "Oh, wouldn't that just be tragic!?" It took little effort for Lapis to snap her binds. "I should've destroyed you the first time we met. Guess now I'll finish the job." Amethyst rolled back to avoid what would've been a fatal blow from her water fist. Amethyst kept moving backwards, unable to hold back the relentless assault advancing toward her. Finally, Lapis had enough. Amethyst buckled as Lapis chained her arms and legs to the ground with the pool water. "This is going to be the last mistake you ever make." With all of her effort, Lapis encased Amethyst in a bubble. She began to squeeze and contort the bubble, in an effort to force Amethyst back into her gem. Amethyst struggled against the grip, but it was entirely in vain. Within a few moments, she had lost all of her energy and will to keep fighting. With a loud bang, she poofed and fell through the bubble to the ground with a clang.

"Goodbye, Amethyst..." Lapis raised her water fist in preparation for the final blow. It seemed all was over, when suddenly Lapis was knocked backwards across the barnyard. An object had struck her head on and blew up in her face after flinging her skyward. She looked up to find Garnet standing across the field with Pearl and Steven flanking her sides. Garnet's gauntlets reformed as quickly as they shot off. "Lapis Lazuli! This has gone on far enough! Cease and desist!" Lapis stood up from her stupor and took a good look at her newest challengers. "So, is that how it's gonna be?", Lapis growled. "I've beaten you once, and I'll beat you again. This time, I won't be nearly as merciful!"

Lapis wasted no time in attacking the gems. A raging whirlpool consumed the barnyard, tearing everything it touched apart. Only by the power of Steven's bubble were Garnet and Pearl kept safe. "We need to get her away from water!", Pearl said hurriedly. "But how?", Steven asked. "Let me handle this.", Garnet replied. "On three Steven, I want you to drop the bubble. Once it's dropped, I want you Pearl to brace Steven back and Steven I want you to form your shield." "Where is this going?", Pearl asked confused. "Just do it now!", Garnet yelled. On the count of three, Steven dropped the bubble. Braced by Pearl, Steven held his shield up to the sky. Garnet jumped atop the shield, and twisted her form back. This may work, or it may kill her. Either way, it was their best chance. Corkscrewing up into the descending whirlpool, Garnet hit the monstrosity dead on. A loud explosion echoed across the sky as both Garnet and the cloud evaporated in a poof of smoke. For a minute, everything was quiet. A few drops of rain from the steamy cloud the impact had formed hit the ground, followed by Garnet.

"Garnet!", the two cried simultaneously. Garnet struggled to stand, weakened by the impact. She raised her head slowly and turned to Lapis. "You have no power here! Surrender or I'll reduce you to your gem!" Lapis too, took some time to stand. Her hair was frizzled and her dress was muddied. She stared down the permafusion with vengeful eyes. But she knew she was beaten. Without her source of power, she had no chance. "Damn it!", she cried. Suddenly, the four heard some clanging from across the barnyard. It was Peridot, who had barely survived the torrent of attacks being flung back and forth. Her hair was thoroughly soaked, and her form wavered from damage. She coughed a slight bit, and looked up at Lapis. Lapis said nothing, just gave her a cruel and cold look. Peridot could only whimper, "Lapis..." Lapis flew off into the distance. Before too long, she disappeared into the horizon.

"Lazuli! Wait! I'm sorry!" But it was far too late. Lapis was gone. Nobody knew where she went. And at the moment, everyone but Peridot was more concerned about Amethyst's condition. "Steven, bubble her gem and take her back to the Temple. She'll reform there when we get back." Steven followed Garnet's instructions word for word. The gems left for the warp pad without hesitation, only Steven turning his head to give Peridot a sad glance. Peridot waited until everyone was gone, and then she began to cry.

That night was the quietest Peridot had in some time. She had only the whimpers of Veggie to keep her company now. Peridot got to work fixing up her barn, alone now. She found it much more difficult without Lapis' help. Eventually, she simply gave up. "What's the point? It's no use anyway!" Peridot slumped herself against the back wall, or at least what was left of it. Veggie whimpered loudly and sat themself in Peridot's lap, shivering in the cold. "Oh Veggie, I'm so sorry... What are we gonna do?" Peridot stroked her hand back and forth over their top, as Veggie curled up in a desperate attempt to find comfort and warmth.

Lapis didn't know where she was going. She didn't care to know either. She didn't need Peridot. She didn't need Steven. All she needed was herself. She could make it in this strange new world, even if she had to do it all on her own. Eventually, something caught her eye. A glimmer of lights in the far horizon. Lapis remembered what it must've been. "Empire City..." Lapis descended upon the town in a hasty fashion, making sure to land as discreetly as possible. Not that it mattered though, plenty of people saw her. This place was very different from Beach City. It was even more different from Homeworld. Lapis fixed her hair, stood up straight, and just kept walking. Eventually, she found a hotel. They must have room, right? Walking inside, she found the receptionist.

Amethyst reformed quick as she normally did. Hitting the burning room's floor, she looked around for Lapis and Peridot, before realizing where she was. Steven sat in the corner, having patiently waited for Amethyst's unbubbled gem to reform. "Amethyst, are you alright?" Amethyst charged at Steven, "Steven! What happened!? Where is everyone?" Steven tried to calmly explain everything that had just happened, but that seemed to only worsen Amethyst's condition. "I have to go see her, it's important! She needs help!" Steven held her back as she tried to spring into a run. "You've taken a bit of damage! You should sit for a while." Amethyst squirmed and struggled, eventually breaking his grip. Only to run straight into Garnet and Pearl. Amethyst started to get the idea she wasn't going anywhere.

Lapis walked to the receptionist desk. A small balding man greeted her at the front. "Good evening madame, looking for a night?" Lapis shrugged. "Yea, I guess I could stay here for a few weeks." The receptionist seemed excited by the prospect, "Goodie! And how many days exactly?" Lapis didn't know quite where he was going with this. "Uhm, maybe like ten?" The receptionist typed up a bill on his computer. "In a regular suite that will be 12,500 dollars." Lapis shrieked, "What!?" The receptionist chuckled, "But we do have a special on executive suites at a discount price for your duration of 21,000!" Lapis could barely whisper, "Is there anywhere I can stay for free?" The receptionist's smile pursed into a frown. "Now that you mention it..."

Lapis looked up at the aging brownstone. Well, this was the place he gave her. The sounds of gunfire and barking dogs echoed against distant sirens. Wherever she was, she was certainly missing home already. She walked inside, the building looked like it had been deserted long ago. Mold and leaky pipes coated the walls in thick brown must. Garbage and broken furniture littered the floor. Moving upstairs she found herself an empty stained cot. A strong breeze sifted through the decaying structure, causing her to shiver. This was it, her new home. No friends, no love, no hope. And laying back into her cot, she cried herself to sleep.

Amethyst's talk with the gems meandered nowhere. It was very clear she too was on her own with this. Walking out into the night, she found herself a seat on the porch. The same strong breeze blew across the sands, sending a chill down her back. Amethyst too began to cry. She naturally blamed herself. Everything had fallen apart so fast, and there was nothing she could do now. It had been so long since she had felt so helpless. And that's when something caught her gaze. Far above her head, situated over the horizon, was a star. It wasn't different or extraordinary in any real way. She wasn't sure why, but it stood out to her. Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply.

Peridot walked out of her barn, and looked to the skies. A single star stood out to her, just beyond the moon. A beautiful twinkling light above the chaotic world below. She put her hands together, and searched for something to say. Lapis too found the same star. There was something Steven had once taught her. A wish upon a star. How did it go again? And then all three remembered. "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight..."


End file.
